Responses in reaction to the
following provocative future scenario were assembled from
a select group of internet stakeholders in the 2006
Pew Internet & American Life/Elon University
Predictions Survey. The survey allowed respondents to
select from the choices "agree" or
"disagree" or to leave the scenario unanswered.
Respondents were encouraged to provide a written
elaboration to explain their answers; they did not always
do so, but those who did provided richly detailed
predictive material. Some respondents chose to identify
themselves with each answer; many did not. We share some
- not all - of the responses here. Workplaces of
respondents whose reactions are shared below are
attributed here only for the purpose of indicating a
level of internet expertise; the statements reflect
personal viewpoints and do not represent their
companies', universities', or government
agencies' policies or positions. Some answers have
been edited to share more respondents' replies. This
is a selection of the many carefully considered responses
to the following scenario.

Scenario Six: The internet
opens worldwide access to success and reconfigures human
networks...In the current
best-seller "The World is Flat," Thomas
Friedman writes that the latest world revolution is found
in the fact that the power of the internet makes it
possible for individuals to collaborate and compete
globally. This scenario: By 2020, the free flow of
information will completely blur current national
boundaries as they are replaced by city-states,
corporation-based cultural groupings, and/or other
organizations tied together by global networks.

Structurally, the issue for the world is
much more about balance of power. Right now, there is no
balance and the United States is viewed as a threat
because of its untrammeled ability to enforce its own
rules and interests. If there is a balance of power,
there will be a stability that allows the internet to
level the playing field for economic success and access.
- Stewart Alsop, investor and analyst; former editor
of InfoWorld and Fortune columnist; internet user since
1994

This is incoherent nonsense. The only
meaningful element is that multinational corporations
can rival national government as power blocs, and such
corporations may gain even more power in the future.
Information is a part of the economy - a big part. But
it's still only a part. - Seth Finkelstein,
anti-censorship activist and programmer, author of the
Infothought blog and an EFF Pioneer Award
winner

I
agree that virtual connections will increase in scale,
scope, and importance. I disagree about the magnitude
of this change by 2020 (e.g., don't agree with
"completely blur"). Physical relationships
and communities will continue to be important. Nations
have a lot of history, ideology, and culture. -
Alan Inouye, internet policy analyst previously
with the Computer Science and Telecommunications Board
of the National Research Council; internet user since
1990

I
certainly agree that the Internet allows small groups
to compete globally; in fact, I've written about
"micro-multinationals" as becoming an
important force. But I think that such forces only work
well in some domains. People will still be plowing
fields on their own. - Hal Varian, professor at
University of California-Berkeley; Google; internet
user since 1986

Although I agree in principle, there
remains sufficient misguided nationalism to maintain
borders between people - despots and dictators will
still be in power. - Adrian Schofield, head of
research for ForgeAhead (focused on ICT research and
consulting in Africa), South Africa; a leader in the
World Information Technology and Services Alliance
(WITSA); internet user since 1994

First off, I said the first sentence
before Friedman; he just has better P.R. I agree with
the first sentence, but disagree with "completely
blur." We still have bodies; we, states, and
organizations still have territorially-based interests
(in the political sense of that word). - Barry
Wellman, researcher on virtual communities and
workplaces; professor and director of NetLab at
University of Toronto; internet user since
1976

I
disagree with "completely." Moreover, if
anyone can be successful, then those who are not
successful (by whose definition?) must be responsible
for their own failure. (Again, too many thoughts
mingled into a single prediction.) - Esther Dyson,
editor Release 1.0, investor and adviser to start-ups,
and member of many boards, including Electronic
Frontier Foundation and the Global Business Network;
former chair of ICANN (Internet Corporation for
Assigned Names and Numbers) board; internet user since
1985

I
mostly agree, but strongly object to the panglossian
overstatement. This trend will continue, but the old
order will fight back. National governments will
aggressively defend their power, and corporate
incumbents will fight dirty against networked
challengers. I thus believe that the 2020 networked
world will be a turbulent place, full of opportunity
and real innovation, but also real risks.
Friedman's writings will take their place alongside
earlier optimist tracts extolling the wonders of
technologies-to-come that over the years touted the
benefits of radio (1930s), television (1950s), and
personal computers (1970s). - Paul Saffo,
forecaster and strategist, director, Institute for the
Future; serves on many boards, including the Long Now
Foundation; Internet user since 1978

Yes in the sense that some of the
institutions that relied on geographical particularity
will be weakened (e.g. universities linked around
physical libraries). BUT new
distinctions/boundaries/groupings will arise to add
"texture" to this so-called "global
village". In the medium-term there will be just as
many barriers, in effect, to open global
action/interaction. - Bruce Edmonds, Centre for
Policy Modelling, Manchester Metropolitan University,
UK; internet user since 1992

The hind side of this scenario is that
the collapse of nation states and other existing power
structures is unlikely to be peaceful, causing
widespread low-intensity violence. - Pekka
Nikander, Ericcson Research, Helsinki Institute for
Information Technology; past member of the Internet
Architecture Board; internet user since
1987

The technology tends towards this
openness, but our religious and political predilections
now indicate otherwise. – Douglas Rushkoff,
author of many books about net culture, teacher, New
York University; internet user since 1985

I
disagree with the word "completely" here, but
I agree that Friedman's "flatteners" add
up to a powerful force. I would also point out that the
global economic flows enabled by communication
infrastructure are highly dependent on cheap petroleum
when it comes to moving matter around. That could
change overnight. - Howard Rheingold, internet
sociologist and author; one of the first writers to
illuminate the ideals and foibles of virtual
communities; internet user since 1990

In
the intervening 15 years there is going to be a very
large financial reconning as power is rebalanced. -
Gordon Bell, senior researcher, Microsoft;
computing and internet pioneer; internet user since
1986

My
"agreement" with this is more of a hope than
a certainty. Most surely, there are massive forces -
government, corporate and "religious" - who
are doing everything they can to limit such egalitarian
distribution of power. For after all, timely access to
adequate information, and the ability to timely
communicate with the body politic (be it our neighbors,
or a national or global audience - e.g. pollution
recipients around the world - is the ULTIMATE power. If
it were not, those in government and business who HAVE
power would not be so all-fired zealous in trying to
limit public access to information about themselves and
their activities. However, it is not clear to me that
we citizens will be successful in protecting our
"right" (ability) to communicate freely. That
freedom may be choked by governments, by corporate
managers and by self-appointed censors who "know
what's best for us." - Jim Warren,
internet pioneer (founding editor of Dr. Dobb's
Journal), technology-policy advocate and activist,
futurist; internet user since 1970

It
will all happen, but the right date is closer to 2120
than 2020. National cultures run deep. - Fred
Hapgood, author and consultant; internet user since
1981

Citizens may be less willing to allow the
collapse of nation states if they believe that
international organizations lack accountability. The
debate over the WTO is a precursor to the future. -
Marc Rotenberg, executive director Electronic
Privacy Information Center; internet user since
1978

Not 'completely blur' national
boundaries, but these other allegiances (religious of
course) will be very powerful. Most of the changes will
be for individuals, not "communities,"
because the individual is the one with the raised
expectation and awareness, and while she may try and
convey that to a surrounding neighborhood or town or
tribe, she may decide it is best to move away and into
places where she can grow and excel. For that reason I
see the Internet as an urbanization (globalization)
engine that weakens many rural areas. They just
can't change as fast as the individual - who
becomes impatient with that stasis. - Steve Cisler,
former senior library scientist for Apple, founder of
the Association for Community Networking, now working
on public-access projects in Guatemala, Ecuador and
Uganda; internet user since 1989

It
will be about Adaptive dynamics and Economics, with new
comparative advantages and value propositions.
Adaptiveness + Economics = "Adaptnomics" -
with credit to my friend Wale Adjadi. - Tunji
Lardner, CEO for the West African NGO network:
wangonet.org; agendaconsulting.biz; has held various
consultancies for the World Bank and United Nations as
well as being a resource person and consultant to the
UNDP African Internet Initiative; internet user since
1988

The nation state is an invention of the
industrial world that allowed the most efficient
management of resources both material and people. The
information age needs the flow of ideas, the political
form always follows the economic need. We will see a
flattening of the nation state in Western society. In
third world countries and networks of ethnic grouping
such as the Arab world, we will see a desperate attempt
to hold onto the framework as is. We cannot forget that
Eastern Europe, Africa, and Asia lost many years, due
to imperialism, to work through the various aspects of
nationalism. It took Western Europe a thousand years
and two very bloody world wars to work out the kinks of
nation, culture, country, resource. The future is
brighter since the source of wealth is no longer based
on carbon, such as oil, minerals, land, which are
limited - but based on information and creativity which
is limitless. - Amos Davidowitz, director of
education, training and special programs for Institute
of World Affairs, Association for Progressive
Education; internet user since 1994

I'd agree with the statement if the
word "completely" was deleted as a modifier
for "blur." I don't think social
transformation will be effected in the next decade and
a half. But, barring additional polarizing events on
the scale of 9.11, we should be well on our way toward
a more global environment, both socially and
economically. - Reva Basch, consultant for
Aubergine Information Systems (online research expert);
internet user since 1973

I
think that this is already true, though it will take
some time before it sinks sufficiently into the
cultural background to be fully effective. Again,
issues relating to assessing identity and trust will be
key. For instance, it is often suggested that projects
such as Wikipedia would be better if readers could more
easily identify and trust the source(s), but
conversely, the value of contributing would be greatly
increased if contributers could be uniquely identified
and if trust in them could be asserted. That being
said, I believe that "completely blur" is an
overstatement and that it'll take longer for this
to be complete, if it ever is. It should be noted that
even in a post-geographic world, geography isn't
blurred; it just becomes a less important factor
amongst many. - Robin Berjon, W3C and Expway;
internet user since 1996

The internet also makes it possible to
preserve and nurture ethnic and cultural differences.
People keep thinking that the latest change in
technology is going to change human nature and society
and it just ain't gonna happen. - Roger Cutler,
W3.org, senior staff research scientist at the Chevron
Information Technology division of Chevron U.S.A.;
internet user since 1994

Completely agree. Like never before the
human race will be enabled to act as one entity. -
Michael Gorrell, senior VP and CIO for EBSCO;
internet user since 1994

I
think this contention is basically correct, however a
flat playing field also means you can lose big as well
as win big. Where we'll lose out is that we have
many computer users, but few of the people who have the
great ideas are the same ones who can program software.
For example, a man sending one e-mail, or even a batch
of e-mails by using a "cut and paste" feature
from a list of addresses can never compete with a fully
automated system that transmits e-mails 7 X 24 as fast
as the processor will go. Most Americans have not
transformed their work habits to use the computer to
their best advantage unlike the Asians, the Indians and
Pakistanis and Chinese. Americans still think of it as
a toaster and fail to see its potential. Consequently,
we'll be eaten alive economically unless the
quality of our educational institutions increases and
people learn how to tap the power available in these
systems. - William Kearns, assistant professor at
the University of South Florida; internet user since
1992

Too much inertia in the current system to
be replaced in 15 years, particularly as we won't
be 100% connected. - Willis Marti, associate
director for networking, Texas A&M University;
internet user since 1983

Since most war and exploitative pain in
the world's history has arisen from nation state
'ego' conflict I am hopeful that emerging
affinity networks and identification will lead to long
term more peaceful networking toward mutual gain. As
Elise Boulding taught me, the expansion of global
NGO's is our best hope for a friendlier planet.
– Ed Lyell, pioneer in issues regarding
internet and education, professor at Adams State
College; internet user since 1965

Most in the technology fields have seen
this coming a long way off. "The World is
Flat" exposed to the rest of the world what many
in technology have known for a long time, that the more
communication that is available the smaller the
universe. When the first telephones were given out, no
one wanted them, but they quickly made the world
smaller and more mobile by creating access beyond the
town hall or country store to the entire world. This
will only continue as we realize that borders don't
really exist and find even more ways to communicate
with each other and that in fact, it is a very small
world. - Tom Snook, CTO, New World Symphony,
internet user since 1967

You seem to overlook the fact that nation
states can control access to the Internet if they
choose to. I doubt that national boundaries will
dissolve by 2020 unless we discover extra-terrestrial
intelligent life. - Joe Bishop, VP business
development, Marratech AB; internet user since
1994

I like Friedman's book, and I was with
this prediction until the word "completely."
Some countries, such as U.S., Japan, and China, will
remain sufficiently nationalistic that even with
blurring they'll still be distinct. Even in Europe,
the EU project has had recent setbacks, and while
national boundaries are more porous than they used to
be, national feeling still exists. Blurred yes;
completely, no. - John S. Quarterman, president
InternetPerils Inc.; publisher of the first
"maps" of the internet; internet user since
1974

This is already starting to happen today.
As corporations like Amazon and Google rush to compete
with one another, they will act as an enabler to
smaller organizations (even organizations of one) that
will leverage the commodity services provided by the
giants. The key lies not only with a free flow of
information, but of service - service to which others
will add their own value. - Ross Rader, director of
research and innovation, Tucows Inc; internet user
since 1991

The Internet will open worldwide access
to opportunities for success. It will also open ways
for many dysfunctionalities. Corporation-based cultural
groupings may actually be one of the most destructive
forces if not enough cultural, relational, and
bottom-up social forces are built up. This does not
detract from the prediction that a lot more people than
today will have a good life through extensive networked
collaboration. - Alejandro Pisanty, CIO for UNAM
(National University of Mexico); vice chairman of the
board for ICANN; member of United Nations' Working
Group for Internet Governance; active in ISOC; internet
user since 1977

It
is surprising that many people find this prediction
original or novel. Since the advent of
computer-to-computer messaging in the early 1980´s
(Videotext, BBS´s [bulletin board services], Bitnet and
ultimately the Internet) it has become manifestly clear
that space and time are together altered by the new
asynchronous, highly capillarized data networks. You no
longer have to be in a major city of the world to be
able to develop a product, project or service that
makes the world beat a path to your door. And this is
good, very good. So what else is new? - Fredric M.
Litto, professor, University of Sao Paulo; president,
ABED-Brazilian Association for Distance Education;
internet user since 1993

While this is theoretically possible, it
ignores the fact that the internet largely reflects the
social, political, and economic hierarchies and
networks outside of it. - David Elesh, associate
professor of sociology at Temple University; internet
user since 1983

Nation-states are not going to go away,
nor is nationalism. - Gary Chapman, director, The
21st Century Project, LBJ School of Public Affairs at
the University of Texas - Austin, internet user since
1982

The nation-state will become an
administration entity rather than a cultural organizer.
- Charles Hendricksen, research collaboration
architect for Cedar Collaboration; internet user since
1968

This, like many of the other claims,
starts with a reasonable premise (e.g., internet makes
it possible for individuals to collaborate and compete
globally). But there is no reason that this ability to
collaborate with be associated with the withering of
nation-states. – Robert Kraut, Human Computer
Interaction Institute, Carnegie Mellon
University

I
agree, except that I don't think national
boundaries will be replaced. They will continue to play
an important role. But it will be less unique. National
identity will continue to be with us. - David
Clark, internet pioneer, senior research scientist at
MIT; now working under a major National Science
Foundation grant to rethink the architecture of the
internet; internet user since 1975

Yes, but this will happen within clearly
defined cultures. Japanese will not mix with
US-Americans for the simple reason that US-Americans
will not learn foreign languages. Chinese cyberspace
will be huge but by and large inaccessible because most
non-Chinese will not have learned Mandarin. What
Friedman writes might be the case for national
boundaries but will not be the case for cultural
limitations that cannot so easily be overcome. -
Geert Lovink, media theorist, professor and internet
critic, Institute of Network Cultures, University of
Amsterdam; in 2005-2006 he is a fellow at the
Wissenschaftskolleg, the Centre for Advanced Study in
Berlin; internet user since 1993

The mechanism for doing this, however, is
the Next Generation Network infrastructure, not
"the Internet." - Tony Rutkowski, VP for
regulatory and standards, Verisign; a co-founder and
former executive director of the Internet Society;
active leader in International Telecommunication Union
(ITU); internet user since 1979

The power of the internet in enabling
collaboration is very important, and I would agree with
Friedman's remarks on the ability of individuals to
collaborate. The inference this question proposes (the
complete blurring of national boundaries), however,
requires for example that Syria and Israel decide that
the border between them is no longer important. Gee,
I'd love to see world peace, but I don't
believe that the Internet alone will be able to
accomplish it. Much of the thinking in "The World
is Flat" is valid. However, I doubt that the
western notion of a nation-state will significantly
change during my lifetime. - Fred Baker, CISCO
Fellow, CISCO Systems, Internet Society (ISOC) chairman
of the board; Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF);
internet user since 1987

The Internet is, and will continue to,
foster online livelihoods and collaborations not
previously possible. This is fostered by the increasing
(business/professional) service base of the economy.
Increasing education and connectivity have grown the
pool that contributes to professional services beyond
typical boundaries. We have tapped this approach in our
own business with a model that leverages a distributed
workforce of micro-enterprises working in Open Source
technologies (see www.ifpeople.net/fairsource) based on
the model of Fair Trade. These cross-institutional
collaboratives allow for agile, learning organizations
that can compete and adapt quickly. - Christopher
Johnson, co-founder and CEO for ifPeople, Inspiring
Futures; internet user since 1995

The phrase "completely blur"
probably goes too far, but it's fair to say that
new non-geographical allegiances will become as
important and probably more important than today's
geographical communities. However, note that in
addition to being connected with like-minded people, I
also need to have economic intercourse with
complementary groups. Hence, although I'm a Ph.D.
computer scientist and will want to connect with the
same and equivalent world-wide, I also want to connect
with farmers who grow and will ship me great produce.
The real world counts because I still can't get
fine dark chocolate to appear from my wireless PDA. In
fact, I suspect I'll spend a minority of my time
with like-minded people of all types (cultural
groupings, etc.) and the majority of my time with
complementary people and groups. - Glenn Ricart,
executive director, Price Waterhouse Coopers Advanced
Research; member of the board of trustees of the
Internet Society; internet user since 1968

This is again more of a utopian desire
than any thing else but is a major part of the benefits
that an "Internet for Everybody" can/will
offer. - Cheryl Langdon-Orr, independent internet
business operator and director for ISOC-Australia;
internet user since 1977

I
agree in part but disagree also in part. The
contribution and creativity of individuals has always
been important, way before the internet, but what the
internet offers is a mechanism that connects and
leverages individual creativity and behaviour into a
collective mechanism that both rewards individual
excellence and joint efforts. Therein lie the benefits.
The individuals continue to live in nations, societies
and cities with their own value systems that are not
going to be displaced by this behaviour. - Robert
Shaw, internet strategy and policy advisor,
International Telecommunication Union (ITU); internet
user since 1987

Both types of associations are needed and
will coexist: a) cross-border interest-driven virtual
communities and b) local communities. - Luc
Faubert, consultant, dDocs Information Inc.; president
of Quebec's Internet Society chapter and an
ambassador to the World Summit on Information Society;
member of Computer Professionals for Social
Responsibility (CPSR); internet user since
1985

Not likely. While there is much to be
said about the enabling power of communications and the
Internet, there is a deep-rooted nationalism that is
part of the psyche of nearly all people worldwide. Many
events only serve to strengthen that nationalism in
both positive and negative ways, including wars and
conflicts, financial systems, political messaging, and
even the World Cup and the Olympics. This doesn't
mean that groupings won't continue to happen as
they have today, but they will continue to consist
mostly of people with shared common interest that still
end up living their own separate lives when offline. -
Philip Joung, Spirent Communications (wireless
positioning products); internet user since
1989

This is one of the wonders that will
evolve out of the internet - free flow of information
across physical and geographical boundaries. However
this must not come at the expense of a loss of identity
of people involved. - Rajnesh J. Singh, PATARA
Communications & Electronics Ltd., Avon Group, GNR
Consulting, ISOC Pacific Islands; internet user since
1993

I can see a trend toward regionalism and
cross-border cooperation, but it won't proceed as
fast as this question suggests. National governments
still have lots of financial, legal, and rhetorical
tools at their command, and the change from one country
to another can still be extreme. It will be a long
time, if ever, before the force of last resort ceases
to be the national government. - Andy Oram, writer
and editor for O'Reilly Media; internet user since
1983

We've been getting this prediction
for a while, and it hasn't come true. Large
corporations, with the support of strong nations,
continue to have great control over economics and
politics. There is no real basis for power in these
dispersed city-states, and no one with power today is
showing willingness to give it up. This could be a
scenario for 200 years from now, but definitely not
2020, and getting there may not be through peaceful
means. - Karen Coyle, information professional and
librarian; internet user since 1983

I partially agree, as national boundaries
will be even more emphasized in those countries where
there has been political resistance (explicit or
inadvertent) to the information age. These countries
will effectively become outdated islands of information
poverty. - Alan Levin, programmer, designer,
systems and network architect; chairman of the ISOC
South Africa chapter; serves on the boards of Future
Perfect Corporation, AfriNIC and .za DNA; internet user
since 1994

We
saw hints of this in the late '90s and the very
first part of this century, only to see it
"interrupted" by the bursting of the
"bubble." However, perhaps the bubble burst
because we moved too fast too early and with
insufficient thought to have sound business models. We
will have learned in the next 15 years and we should
see great collaboration by people to complete globally
with any entity. Indeed, it's likely that that
will, effectively, be the way of business - whether the
"individual" is essentially a
"corporation," or virtually individuals,
literally. - Don Heath, board member, iPool,
Brilliant Cities Inc., Diversified Software, Alcatel,
Foretec; internet user since 1988

Yes, to the extent that it is allowed by
trading regimes. When the African farmer can see prices
in European markets, he will be all the more outraged
at foot-dragging over liberalisations proposed in -
e.g. - the Doha round of trade talks. - John
Browning, co-founder of First Tuesday, a global network
dedicated to entrepreneurs; former writer for The
Economist and other top publications; internet user
since 1989

The internet's real power is that it
allows individuals that share a common interest to
interact and collaborate in ways simply not possible
before. That ability will continue to erode traditional
boundaries (e.g., national, or geographic). -
Thomas Narten, IBM open-internet standards
development; Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF)
liaison to ICANN; internet user since 1983

Reasons for collaboration have to exist.
Finding them and making worthwhile for all involved
will be a growth industry. I predict more jobs for
matchmakers. – Mike Gill, electronics
engineer, National Library of Medicine; internet user
since 1988

Although there is little doubt that we
will see some pioneers in this area, politics and
economics in general do not change that quickly,
especially across borders. Too many incumbents have a
vested interest in the status quo. When the "old
people" die, THEN we'll begin to see changes
of this scope. Besides, people as a rule are not
intelligent enough to mingle so deeply with other
cultures. -Michael Steele, internet user
since 1978; chose not to share any other identifying
details

As
Friedman correctly identifies, this will be a trend,
but it will NOT "completely blur" anything in
the next 20 yrs, and may never do so. - Peter Roll,
retired chief system administrator; internet user since
1981

The Internet may be a great place for the
flow of information, but I still have to buy food from
my local supermarket, send my child to a local school,
attend a local church, and so on. While online
communities will have greater roles, the needs for
real-world communities won't change. - Jim
Huggins, associate professor of computer science,
Kettering University; internet user since
1989

Completely agree. I think Friedman nailed
it. Also note the fact that we are emerging into an era
of user content creation and distribution. This is
already becoming a disruptive force, affecting mass
media of various types, the music and motion picture
industry, and others. - Joel Hartman, CIO,
University of Central Florida; internet user since
1970

Absolutely! But this also means the
globalization of the hinterlands. While individuals in
India, China, and ultimately Africa (though this will
take much longer) will be part of these new global
networks, there will inevitably be losers in this
process: those who remain less connected. And here
"less connected" does not merely mean unable
to access the Internet, but unable to call on a global
network of financial and interpersonal resources. So
yes, you will be able to find the First World more
often in the Third, but also the Third World more often
in the First. – Alex Halavais, assistant
professor, State University of New York-Buffalo;
internet user since 1984

William Gibson foresaw this all in the
1980s and it appears he was right. - Martin
Kwapinski, senior content manager, FirstGov.gov, the
U.S. Government's Official Web Portal; internet
user since 1997

The world is flat, but it's also
lumpy. We cluster together. Geography is one powerful
attractor. So are interests. We're capable of
maintaining many sets of relationships simultaneously.
- David Weinberger, teacher, writer, speaker,
consultant and commentator on internet and technology;
Harvard Berkman Center; internet user since
1986

2020, as defined in the beginning of this
questionary, is too early for current national
boundaries to have become fully blurred. Also, the
description above (not in bold) does not lead to what
is stated in the main sentence (in bold - The internet
opens worldwide access to success) as current national
boundaries ceasing to exist do not imply everyone will
live at the same conditions anywhere in the globe.
Local differences will remain, we will just stop
understanding them through the colours defined by
current (artificial) national boundaries to read them
according to how other, as artificial, lenses will have
been tinted. – Suely Fragoso, professor,
Unisinos, Brazil; internet user since 1994

Countries will still want to retain their
political power. As such, they need money to support
their government, their infrastructure, and their
military (unfortunately). Unless they system of
collecting this money changes from the current business
tax and import/export duties, it will be hard for a
company to be completely agnostic to national
boundaries. I do agree, however, that the Internet will
make it easier to attain a global reach. - Rangi
Keen, software engineer, Centric Software, internet
user since 1989

This question is hard to give an
either/or answer to, I believe that the trend the
question describes will be true, but only to a limited
extent, national boundaries will persist, as will
national identities, as strong or maybe even stronger
than before. If you on the other hand talk about the
years between 2050-2100, migrations may wipe out a lot
of national identities, not so much the internet, which
can be used to maintain national identities. -
Arent Greve, professor, The Norwegian School of
Economics and Business Administration; internet user
since 1983

There will still be peaks and troughs in
access geographically and economically. The internet
will create cultural crises (like the current issue
over the Prophet Muhammad cartoon) that will reshape
how we deal with issues in a transnational manner.
- Mark Gaved, The Open University, United Kingdom;
internet user since 1987

While the basic observation is valid and
this will certainly become more important in the
future, the prediction wildly overstates its effects.
Among other things, it overlooks the existence of
diverse languages and cultures, and all the other
aspects of nations beyond the economic. - Florian
Schlichting, Ph.D. candidate, University College,
London

I
see no decrease in nationalism. - Leigh Estabrook,
professor, University of Illinois; internet user since
1978

In
many instances this is highly likely. But I suspect
there also likely to be a huge backlash against the
global corporatisation of the world and commodification
of culture. I also do not see a free flow of
information, given the current attempts by many to
control it. However, localised and topical tribalism
(and multi-tribal affiliations) seem likely to rise. -
Andy Williamson, managing director for Wairua
Consulting Limited, New Zealand; a member of the NZ
government's Digital Strategy Advisory Group;
internet user since 1990

I
didn't believe Friedman when he wrote that and
don't believe that national boundaries will ever be
so threatened by the Internet as to erase them. China
is doing everything it can to allow all of its citizens
to access the Internet even while it dictates to Google
which sites will be blocked. - Christine Ogan,
professor, University of Indiana School of Journalism;
internet user since 1986

It's already more difficult to travel
than 20 years ago. National government power
holders/structures will not go quietly. - Michael
Cannella, IT manager for Volunteers of
America-Michigan, member Computer Professionals for
Social Responsibility

This trend will be more developed, but by
no means complete. - Tama Leaver, lecturer in
digital communication, University of Western
Australia

Not by 2020. I predict that China, a very
potential world economic power, will still have not
loosened it's grip on controlling access and flow
of information into and out of it's borders. All of
the computers that allow the net to exist are still
within geopolitical borders. Only if we had a truly
distributed network could we have such reorganization
on a large scale. However, as time progresses, we know
that the very distributed net has become constricted
and controlled at it's very backbone. There was a
time that one could literally connect a computer to the
Internet and be on - now, one must register the IP
connection, which means such a connection can be
denied. It is not freedom when a corporation or
government holds the key to the cage. - Scott
Moore, online community manager, Helen and Charles
Schwab Foundation; internet user since 1991

Some individuals will be able to
collaborate globally. Local operations will still have
an advantage for anything that involves physical flow
of objects. - Grant Blank, assistant professor of
sociology, American University; internet user since
1987

This is very likely to happen, but not
2020. - Ben Detenber, associate professor, Nanyang
Technological University, Singapore

The ability for individual to collaborate
and compete globally (which has been true since life
appeared on this planet) on the one hand, and the
reconfiguration of social groups around new foci at the
expense of the nation-state, on the other hand. The
latter phenomenon is not primarily dependent upon ICT.
The decline of the nation state is much more the result
of the subversion of those supposed to represent and
defend the common interest by forces that represent
particular ones. - Michel Menou, professor and
information-science researcher; born in France, he has
worked in nearly 80 nations; internet user since
1992

The corporation-based cultural groupings
will still be called countries in 2020. ;-). - Sam
Punnett, president, FAD research (consultant on
strategy, marketing, and product-development issues
related to e-business); internet user since
1988

Yes, we will definitely see a weakening
of the current nation-state barriers, but there will be
other, very prominent barriers. Most importantly will
be language, followed by digital access. - Randy
Kluver, executive director, Singapore Internet Research
Centre; internet user since 1989

It
can be hardly expected that current national boundaries
will blur completely by 2020, but it can be predicted
with a great deal of certainty that corporate-based
power will continue to exert its influence relying on
the possibilities offered by the new technologies, not
only the internet but also beyond it. In any sort of
prediction of this kind, some room should be left for
cultural forms that will be a reaction to this state of
affairs. – Mirko Petric, University of Zadar,
Croatia; internet user since 1996

All these statements are so absolute, I
can't do anything but disagree. I agreed with the
first part here, and was quite happy to have found a
question where I could say: yes, that's how I
imagine the future. Then it got around to a vision
again of the totally smooth integration of nations,
organisations and individuals, and I have to say, sorry
not going to happen anytime soon. They burn Norwegian
embassies in Syria over a cartoon drawn in Denmark. How
is that kind of national and cultural conflicts be
overcome in 14 years? - Torill Mortensen, associate
professor, Volda University College, Norway; internet
user since 1991

The Internet, in fact, connects to the
world... but only if we have proper connections to the
Net. The information flow is not plenty free: is
limited by the interests (money, politics, rivalries)
of governments and corporations. That is not a
surprise: is part of the present and indeed the next
realities in this world. Is difficult to think in a
world of city-states in only 15 years. Our countries
are much too complex to turn, suddenly or almost, in
demarcations like Singapore. - Raul Trejo-Delarbre,
Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico; internet user
since 1993

The death of distance doesn't flatten
social hierarchies. In fact, the opposite is true, it
promises MORE not less authoritarian control. -
Edward Lee Lamoureux, associate professor, Bradley
University

Without clean drinking water and global
basic education for women, there will always be a
digital divide. Technology is just a detail in this
regard. - Jason Nolan, associate professor, Ryerson
University, Canada; internet user since
1987

People talking erodes nationalism. The
conversation is pervasive and as people get to know
each other, they will find how similar we all are. -
W. Reid Cornwell, director of The Center for
Internet Research; internet user since 1974

This is a much broader process than can
happen in the next 15 years. - Rich Ling, senior
researcher and sociologist, Telenor Research Institute,
Oslo, Norway; internet user since 1984

I
think this will probably happen, but perhaps not by
2020 and it won't be a pretty or peaceful
transition either. - Janine van der Kooy,
information management/librarian; internet user since
1997

Nations aren't going away, but
perhaps people will reach out more across them than
now. - Danny Sullivan, editor-in-chief,
SearchEngineWatch.com; internet user since
1994While I agree, Friedman has the same blind
spot as he did in his "Lexus and the Olive
Tree" analysis where he missed the
"democratization" of mass violence. While
there will certainly be mass cooperation and
competition, there will also be the ability of
heretofore ineffectual entities to project power in
unexpected and disruptive ways. This will be especially
true for those who hold totalizing worldviews. This
will result in a constant, global, low to medium
intensity insurgent warfare manifesting across all
venues and using all manner of repertoires to further
agendas or thwart others. This will not be an entirely
bad thing, as cooperation and building affinities and
alliances will be the keys to success rather than
coercion. - Ted M. Coopman, activist, social
science researcher, instructor at the University of
Washington, Seattle, member of AoIR board of
directors

China (a nation-state) is very adept at
controlling the free flow of information available to
its individuals. China is not going away by the year
2020. - Charlie Breindahl, external lecturer,
University of Copenhagen, IT University of Copenhagen;
internet user since 1996

This is a question of degree. Will the
internet facilitate "alternate mappings" for
disparate communities of interest? Yes. Will
communications barriers across national boundaries
decrease in some ways? Probably. Will national
boundaries completely disappear? No. National
boundaries are sustained by economics, politics,
cultural identity, religion, etc. - a whole host of
complex systems that can't/won't be dissolved
quickly or easily. It is important to keep in mind that
opportunity is not the only necessary precondition for
drastic change. The internet is a tool that could just
as easily be used to cloister and protect. - Nan
Dawkins, co-founder of RedBoots Consulting; internet
user since 1997

I
agree, but it will not be "city-states" so
much as it will be corporations that become the
sovereign entities transcendent of geographic space.
- Peter P. Nieckarz Jr., assistant professor of
sociology, Western Carolina University; internet user
since 1993

While this collaboration and competition
will increase, the prediction that these developments
will completely blur national boundaries ignores the
many forces that will maintain these social and
political institutions. Instead of
"either-or," it will be "and" -
ongoing national boundaries supplemented by
geographically independent groupings. The dynamic
between the two is where the most interesting questions
lie. - Patrick B. O'Sullivan, director of the
Center for Teaching and Learning, Illinois State
University; internet user since 1987

Although I do not completely agree with
the complete blurring of current national boundaries, I
fully agree that the internet opens up enormous
opportunities for international collaboration. For the
"blurring" to be a reality, however, proven
models of collaboration that have not yet seen the
light of day must be developed, understood across
cultural boundaries, and as easily accessed as the
internet itself. - Paul Chenoweth, web developer,
Belmont University; internet user since
1994

Of
course the internet adds to other processes of
globalization marking our times. However, locality will
always remain an important factor in people's lives
- the place (geographical, social, political,
economical, etc.) in which people live forms the
background against which they have their experiences.
This phenomenon is part of the human condition and will
not disappear through the rise of the internet, despite
its globalizing aspects and tendencies. - B. van
den Berg, faculty of philosophy at Erasmus University,
Rotterdam, The Netherlands; internet user since
1993

You forgot language! This might be true
for an elite of some industrial countries but in many
countries we still have great problems with illiteracy,
even in the U.S. And the Internet requires a high
competence in literacy skills, and if it's global
you might be required to speak a foreign language as
well. - Oliver Krueger, Princeton University
professor; internet user since 1995

I'd like it to be that way, but
I'm not sure that 15 years is realistic time for
those changes. - Lilia Efimova, researcher,
Telematica Instituut, Netherlands; internet user since
1993

We
see this already with blogs, individual and joint,
claiming space where mainstream media is losing ground.
- Deborah Jones, freelance journalist; Canadian
technology writer; internet user since 1980

Not ALL individuals will partake in this
free flow of information, but it will redefine our
culture and our leadership. - Kathleen Pierz,
managing partner, The Pierz Group (consultants in
directory assistance/enquiry); internet user since
1985

I
think the success part is right, I tend to think
nationalism is more hard-wired and unlikely to
disappear. - Cleo Parker, senior manager, BBDO
(international agency for networked, multi-channel
communications solutions); internet user since
1993

This seems like an unlikely outcome. Many
people identify along ethnic, religious, and linguistic
lines and computers are unlikely to change that. -
Michael S. Cann Jr., CEO of Affinio Corporation;
internet user since 1992

Many of us have been writing about such
changes for at least a decade. That process is already
well under way. - Bud Levin, program
head/psychology and commander/policy and planning, Blue
Ridge Community College; Waynesboro (VA) Police
Department; internet user since 1988

I
agree that the internet opens worldwide access to
success but I disagree that national boundaries will be
replaced by city-states. - Carter Headrick,
director of grassroots and field operations for
Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids; internet user since
1993

National boundaries are too important to
the most powerful interests on the planet. They will
not lose their power to uncontrolled media. Global
collaboration will happen to the extent it supports
existing power structures. - Michael Reilly,
GLOBALWRITERS, Baronet Media LLC, Hally Enterprises,
Inc., State Univesity of NY at Stony Brook, Global
Public Affairs Institute; internet user since
1972

It's happening now. It hurts my brain
to think of what will happen in 15 years. - Michael
Collins, CEO (company name not given), internet user
since 1996

Unlike a few Yanqui fantasists like
Friedman, most peoples around the world operate as
collectives. Some wires won't change that! -
Toby Miller, professor, University of
California-Riverside; internet user since
1990

Connectivity is essential to global
peace. - Russell Steele, owner The Insightworks
(provider of tools for research and teaching in
economics and public policy); internet user since
1995

This may happen, but not by 2020.
Cultural identities take longer to blur than that. A
flat world will certainly extinguish some cultural
identities but will create new ones. - Joel Bush, a
respondent who chose not to reveal more details about
his identity

I agree with Friedman's premise, but
this will not be reality only 14 years from now. There
are far more powerful forces working to strengthen and
sharpen national and cultural boundaries and these will
override much of the individual convergence that is
possible through the web. - Ralph Blanchard,
investor, information services entrepreneur; internet
user since 1994

Disagree only because I think this is
feasible, but not in the timeframe. Government
regulation will slow the pace of this change as
political constituencies fight to keep revenue sources
local. - Peter Kim, senior analyst, marketing
strategy and technology team, Forrester Research;
internet user since 1993

Clearly, new business models and new
types of social interaction will continue to evolve as
the cost and friction in communicating globally falls.
But this prediction is too sweeping. People are still a
product of their local communities, customs, parental
expectations, religious affiliation, etc. to be as
plastic as this statement asserts. Over a generation or
two perhaps. - Kerry Kelley, VP product marketing,
SnapNames.com; internet user since 1986

Internet will open worldwide access to
success, but will not blur national boundaries. -
Sean Mead, consultant for Interbrand Analytics,
Design Forum, Mead Mead & Clark and other
companies; internet user since 1989

Whereas I believe this will eventually
come to pass I don't think it will happen by 2020.
- Paul Craven, director of enterprise
communications, U.S. Department of Labor; internet user
since 1993

Commerce is only one domain of human
experience. While commerce may create transaction-based
groupings across political boundaries, the city-states
may well evolve to fill the human need for tribal
community that is based more on religious, ethnic and
cultural distinctions. - Jeff Hammond, VP, Rhea and
Kaiser; internet user since 1992

We
can never forget the internet "unsuccess" to
many during the 90's. Stating the internet opens
worldwide access to success is too risky. - Ivair
Bigaran, Global Messenger Courier do Brasil, American
Box Serviço Int'l S/C Ltda.; internet user since
1994

Much like tectonic shifts moved land
masses long ago to form world geography, the online
shifts we're experiencing are reconfiguring the
human experience to form a new world order - one
without borders. Success, however, will depend on the
accessibility to networks, and whether the flat world
is going to be an equal-opportunity one. - Daniel
D. Wang, principal, Roadmap Associates (coaching and
advisory company); internet user since 1995

With the Internet homogenizing the
developed world, people will want to retain their
identity rather than lose it. Not everyone who has
access to the Internet will be able to do well. The www
also stands for World Wide Wastebasket. There will be a
large amount of false information that will be
detrimental to some. - Richard Yee, competitive
intelligence analyst, AT&T; internet user since
1995

While physical national borders will
remain on the ground, the borderless universe available
via the Internet will continue to flourish and bring
together populations in ways never possible physically.
- Mitchell Kam, Willamette University, Oregon;
internet user since 1979

Risk, security, trust, and personal
identity issues will preclude this free one-to-all
collaboration and social reconfiguration. The test case
for this is "distance learning," where 100%
remote arrangements are less effective than combined
remote-personal arrangements. - Ellen K. Sullivan,
former diplomat, policy fellow, George Mason University
School of Public Policy; internet user since
1988

I especially agree with the part about the
corporate city-states. Like stadiums named for
corporations, corporate identity of governmental
districts is a natural, especially if we secede
responsibility for and acceptance of formal governance
in general. Privatize everything, and the corporations
will be able to slice up our lives in whatever way is
good for their quarterly gains. - Susan Wilhite,
design anthropologist, Habitat for Humanity; internet
user since 1993

Geopolitical boundaries exist in our
minds only. The degree in which we choose to make them
part of our lives depends on how much we value
competing affiliations. Arguably, the trend is already
there with multinational work forces, corporations,
organizations and confederations like the European
Union. - A. White, a respondent who chose not to
share more of her/his identifying details

A qualified disagreement: Although I
believe it will occur, I do not believe it will
"completely" replace current national
boundaries. Our nationalistic tendencies, ethnic and
religious groupings, will continue to exert a lot of
influence for generations to come. - Jeffrey
Branzburg, educational consultant; internet user since
1997

Again, factor in the ever-present tension
between government and business. A boon to business
often produces anxiety in government, in this case due
to loss of control. Therein lies repression or
revolution. - Ralph Mueller, self-employed;
internet user since 1977

People will have strong ties to reality
beyond 2020. Online communities may be boundless, but
they can be easily disrupted by offline actions. -
Brian T. Nakamoto, Everyone.net (a leading provider
of outsourced email solutions for individuals and
companies around the world); internet user since
1990

Increasingly, we are being bound by a
common bond and we are speaking a common language. The
Internet has no boundaries; geographic boundaries shall
become meaningless. It will not make a difference where
you are till the time you are connected. Behavior is
the function of learning, and the Networks shall be the
common source of learning, a common platform where all
netizens stand equal. - Alik Khanna, Smart Analyst
Inc. (business employing financial analysts in India);
internet user since 1996

There will also be increased conflict
among states and social movements reacting against the
homogenization of the world, the
"westernization" of the world, etc. -
Benhamin Ben-Baruch, senior market intelligence
consultant and applied sociologist, Aquent, General
Motors, Eastern Michigan University; internet user
since 1980

I
think that we have to be cautious regarding utopian
predictions a la Friedman who has his own liberal and
globalization agenda. Utopian predictions regarding the
Internet have been proven wrong for the most part.
Power and hegemonic structures will not allow such
"access to success" to spread too widely and
will adapt themselves to the new networked reality in
an attempt to preserve their hegemony. - Michael
Dahan, professor, Sapir Academic College, Israel;
Digital Jerusalem; internet user since 1989

I
think national boundaries are too strong to be blurred
by other groupings of humans, although I do agree that
these alternative groups will become more numerous and
more powerful. - Mark Crowley, researcher, The
Customer Respect Group; internet user since
1995

However, the participants in these
"cultural groupings" and "human
organizations" will still maintain ties to those
outside "the network," and national
boundaries will remain relevant in co-existence.
Successful Indian entrepreneurs, for example, will not
be indifferent between living in India and the U.S.
- Jonathan Sills, SVP (strategy & corporate
development), Provide Commerce, Liberty Media; internet
user since 1993

National boundaries will be increasingly
blurred, but not "completely." So many
processes and so much legitimacy is still tied up with
the nation-state. On the other hand I agree with
Friedman in that individuals will work and compete
globally. - Olav Anders Øvrebø, freelance
journalist based in Oslo, Norway; internet user since
1995

Generally, this seems to be the trend,
but nation-states will continue to have an important
role in this mix as recognized organizational units, if
nothing else than for symbolic reasons of identity,
even if their actual role is diminished. They may
become more inclined to be police states or the
security apparatus of some of the other main groupings,
although this very power of physical violence will give
them continued power within a global networked world. -
Shawn McIntosh, lecturer in strategic
communications, Columbia University; internet user
since 1992

The real question is how does anyone
prepare for this? The cultural gaps remain wide and
change much more slowly than the technology can bridge.
- Jill O'Neill, director of planning &
communication, National Federation of Abstracting and
Information Services; internet user since
1986

Research has been conducted that digital
divide is deepening both between and within developed
and developing states. In the long run, they will be
more remote or even unconnected to each other. -
Yiu Chan, internet user since 1995

I
do believe that the internet has opened up the globe
for companies, but the blur of national boundaries
isn't there. Companies still need to enter these
countries delicately and learn to "speak" the
language, and blend into that country's cultural
world. If they don't, then they won't be
successful, so this is why I think culture will still
exist, thus creating "boundaries." - Jeff
Gores, internet user since 1994

Globalisation for the elite has almost
been the case, from the 19th century onwards.
Communication facilitated the connections between same
groups, but this has not yet proven the case for most
of the people. Local environment will most probably
remain the key social reference. Very localised and
very globalised might impact the levels between. -
Sylvain Grande; internet user since
1995

Thankfully, the nation-state shows no
sign of dying, even in an internetworked world. State
governments didn't wither away when we shifted to a
national economy after WWII powered in part by new
technologies (air travel, telephony, air conditioning).
National governments won't either. However, much
better mechanisms to address cross border issues will
be needed. - Rob Atkinson, director, Technology and
New Economy Project, Progressive Policy Institute (a
think tank); previously project director at the
Congressional Office of Technology Assessment; internet
user since 1993

As
nations are essentially artificial, and are resultants,
at least in part, of a process of mutual identification
between the member individuals of the nation, then if
the Internet does not change how an individual creates
their identity it will not change the existence of
nations. What the ease and speed of international
communication may do, given time, is reduce the general
level of xenophobia in the world. It may, and I hope
that it does, lead to less conflict between nations.
However it may also result in more conflict as it
creates cultural interfaces that were not factors in
people's experience prior to high speed
international communications. There is a potential for
peace and a potential for conflict present in the
internet, as there is in all forms of communication. -
Robin Lane, educator and philosopher, Universidade
Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil; internet user
since 1990

The next important step in the social
software revolution will be tools that enable the
collaborative creation of capitalization for large
projects. However, the significant factors in the
development of global culture in the next two decades
will have to do with the implementation of nanoscales
and the conversion to new energy sources. Networked
groups will multiply these effects. - Daniel
Conover, new-media developer, Evening Post Publishing;
internet user since 1994

I
don't know whether to agree or disagree. Of course,
the power of the internet makes it possible for
individuals to collaborate and compete globally. But
successful competition has been repeatedly proven to be
very difficult: marshalling resources in an effective
and co-ordinated way takes organization well about the
individual level. Geographically diverse organizations
already compete with great success, but geographically
and ethnically specific organizations show no signs of
waning. This isn't a simple either/or issue. -
Walt Dickie, VP and CTO, C&R Research; internet
user since 1992

Internet 2020 will help most developing
countries catch-up with advanced ones. Cheap access to
the huge information capital available on the Internet
will be used by these countries to move forwards very
quickly. - Louis Nauges, president, Microcost (an
IT services and hardware company based in France);
internet user since 1990

I completely agree with this in the longer
term, but not by 2020. - Cary Curphy, operations
research analyst, U.S. Army; internet user since
1989

While the Internet does blur national
boundaries, it cannot eliminate the significance of
geography, nor huge global economic disparities. -
Henry Potts, professor, University College, London;
internet user since 1990

National boundaries will be blurring
somewhat, but the nation-state continues to be an
important concept. Once humans thought the people in
the next village were outsiders, now we have moved to
considering a larger number of people somewhat like
ourselves. But our old habits and our "old"
biology will not change this fast by 2020. - Cheris
Kramarae, professor, Center for the Study of Women in
Society, University of Oregon; internet user since
1976

There is no way that in less than 15
years, nation/state boundaries will be literally
blurred. Obviously, the global economy will become
increasingly more complex, but traditional political
systems and national identities cannot be blurred or
lost in this short of time. However, keep an eye on
Europe. I guess Europe will be the first place to
experience potential "blurring." - Jeff
Bohrer, learning technology consultant, University of
Wisconsin-Madison; internet user since 1993

I agree, but I don't see it as a
completely good thing. At least nations have some means
of accountability. Corporate states scare the
bejesus out of me. -Gordon MacDiarmid, Lobo
Internet Services; internet user since 1988

I agree with the basic statement and
premise. By 2020, nations will continue to exist
however, and I'm not convinced that they won't
try to control (and prevent) success of the masses. -
James Conser, professor emeritus, Youngstown State
University; internet user since 1985

The issue is will that result in harmony
or will it become a variation of H.G. Wells prediction
in the novel Time Machine. - Michael Castengera,
teacher and consultant, Grady College of Journalism/
University of Georgia; Media Strategies and Tactics
Inc., a media consulting firm; internet user since
1992

The Internet opens worldwide access to
success and skills, if you have the necessary skills
and knowledge. For some underprivileged people, the
Internet may make their situation even worse by
increasing the competence they will have to face. Also,
as the world's economy becomes more globalized, the
entrance of large numbers of workers (from China,
India, etc.) into this global employment market is
reducing the workers negotiation power and their wages.
- María Laura Ferreyra, strategic planner,
Instituto Universitario Aeronautico; ISOC member in
Argentina; internet user since 1996

I
agree with the first part: "The internet opens
worldwide access to success", but I disagree with
the rest. The Internet is an enormous source of any
type of information, it is a great road of
communication, so much internal as external, public or
private, but the individual will be always the one that
takes the it finishes decision. - Sabino M.
Rodriguez, MC&S Services; internet user since
1994

This is already the case. Once can also
live in both worlds. I have a "day job" while
also running my own website, publishing my own book,
and performing freelance work using the new tools
provided by the internet. - Alix L. Paultre,
executive editor, Hearst Business Media, Smartalix.com,
Zep Tepi Publishing; internet user since
1996

The Internet is not going to blur or
eliminate national boundaries. It will allow
corporations spread around the globe to cooperate
better with others and with their international
divisions, but I doubt it will help individuals. -
Doug Olenick, computer technology editor, TWICE
(This Week In Consumer Electronics) Magazine; internet
user since 1996

Thomas Friedman is absolutely correct in
his globalization assumptions. For the world in
general, this will be a positive thing. However, I
don't believe Americans quite understand how this
will vastly increase the amount of competition
Americans and American business will face. Such things
as depletion of natural resources, such as oil, and
global warming will have negative consequences as
countries such as India and China gain an equal footing
with the West. - Mike Samson, interactive media
writer and producer, Creative Street Media Group;
internet user since 1989

Absolutely true. Every significant
technology advancement has served to make the world
smaller and smaller. Previous developments in
communication technology required substantial
investments for creation and dissemination of material.
The Internet affords this opportunity to virtually
anyone who can afford a basic computer. Imagine the
impact of television, time 1000. - Al Amersdorfer,
president and CEO, Automotive Internet Technologies;
internet user since 1985

Ever heard of the digital divide? What
Internet are you talking about, then? Globally seems to
be first world global, in which case it is true that
success is net-based. But in the big picture, internet
is, unless it solves its distribution and access
problems, just another medium. Not to mention the
irritating allusions to the golden era of the Greek
polis (city-states, ...). That dream was held on the
shoulders of slaves, bear that in mind. Solve the
digital divide, then we will have "worldwide"
success. In the meanwhile, it is mere rhetoric. -
Miguel Sicart Vila, junior research associate,
Information Ethics Group, Oxford University; internet
user since 1997

The internet opens worldwide access to
success - this is already true. However, the idea that
this will fundamentally reconfigure human organizations
is ridiculous. Physical proximity matters, it allows a
much higher-bandwidth communication to occur. We
don't even understand all of that communication
today, let alone reproduce it over a network. -
Simon Woodside, CEO, Semacode Corporation, based in
Ontario, Canada; internet user since 1992

Thomas Friedman connected all the dots
leading to the future. - Tiffany Shlain, filmmaker
and founder and ambassador of the Webby Awards;
internet user since 1987

Manufacturing will go to countries with
cheapest labor sources... closest to raw materials.
Ford and GM will become automotive
"marketing" companies... selling their
designs mfr by other countries and companies. -
Terry Ulaszewski, publisher, Long Beach Live
Community News; internet user since 1989

Not by 2020. No way. There are too many
geo-political barriers. Folks will hunker down, want to
be more in a place. Tech is not a warm blanket. -
Gwynne Kostin, director of Web communications, U.S.
Homeland Security; internet user since 1993

I've followed Friedman; great read;
made lots of money; interesting ideas: utopian
rationalization of increasing global inequalities and
free market capitalism. Given his track record on
predictions re Iraq, I'd not bet that he is right
about the world, but rather, he is insightful about his
corner of the world - even though he is well-traveled.
- Joe Schmitz, assistant professor, Western
Illinois University; internet user since
1985

This is substantially true, and I agree
with parts (although many of Tom's points are
shallow and simplistic). National boundaries may indeed
be shifted, but the over-arching politics will persist
beyond technology policy. Corporate cultural groups
will result for sure, but we may opt into several such
clusters. I wonder if some cultural alliances will take
shape based on ethnic or intellectual connections...
and thus exacerbating the haves vs. have-nots of the
globe. - Gary Arlen, president, Arlen
Communications Inc., The Alwyn Group LLC; internet user
since 1982

I
disagree just with the notion that success can be
obtained only globally. There will always be a flow of
goods which are best served through local businesses
and I believe the internet will also help locally
business better meet needs of local consumers of goods
not necessarily suited to global enterprise. And in
developing world, this may be even a greater advantage
of the internet. - Jeff Corman, government policy
analyst, Industry Canada, Government of Canada;
internet user since 1995

It
also will continue to grow the Digital Divide. The
Global connected community will become more of a single
entity vs the City State etc. with very distinct lines
drawn between those that know and use this tool to
prosper. - Jim (Jacomo) Aimone, director of network
development, HTC; internet user since 2000

Absolutely. We're already seeing the
effects of digital globalization and these trends can
only accelerate. Individuals may well come to view
themselves as citizens of philosophical and cultural
milieus rather than nation-states. This is good and
bad, of course, since individual responsibility becomes
so dispersed in these scenarios. - Suzanne
Stefanac, author and interactive media strategist,
dispatchesfromblogistan.com; internet user since
1989